The invention relates generally to the field of network security, and more particularly to network security between wide area and local area networks.
Network security is today an ever-increasing problem. Some service providers allow their customers, including other service providers, to access and provide transaction data to the service provider's server networks. This ability presents opportunities to allow product sales between service providers and may increase product and sales coordination between service providers as well.
Sending and receiving secure data is a requirement to operate most, if not all, server networks for their intended purposes. Unfortunately, as with most server networks, sending and receiving data securely is likely the Achilles heel of the network. There are numerous damaging programs (e.g. viruses, Trojan horses, and the like) that most server networks would be susceptible to in the event of exposure while operating in a wide area network (WAN) environment.
Conventional networks can perform various types of data management, and include the capability of providing security through the use of a firewall. Firewalls are available to assist in blocking and thereby protecting server networks from damaging programs and may be implemented in various forms, such as software programs, hardware devices, and the like. Unfortunately, even with these security measures networks continue to be susceptible to security breaches due to the need for some remote device to connect, even if through a firewall, to a device within the network.
An adequate system for protecting local networks has eluded those skilled in the art, until now.